Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast - podcast cover

Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast

Persephonica and Global Optimismshows.acast.com

Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast is for anyone who is not ready to give up on making the world a better place. For unrivalled conversations with decision makers, visionary thinkers and a community of like-minded climate optimists, join former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres, political strategist Tom Rivett-Carnac and sustainable business consultant Paul Dickinson. Each week they make sense of all the top climate news stories, go behind the scenes at crucial talks and ensure you stay informed and inspired ahead of what is set to be the consequential year for climate action.


As we approach the middle of the decisive decade for world emissions, and the 10 year anniversary of the Paris climate agreement, subscribe to Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast


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This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episodes

28. What a Great IKEA with Jesper Brodin

Tom and Christiana are in Costa Rica this week! They reminisce over their time at the UN and discuss how generating business ambition on climate led to national confidence in the Paris Agreement. Later on, Paul and Christiana talk with Jesper Brodin, CEO of IKEA. They get into circularity, clickable furniture, corporate responsibility, and why IKEA is on a mission to prove sustainability is good business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Nov 01, 201940 minSeason 1Ep. 28

27. No Room for a Sinking Feeling with Hilda Heine

In our new format, this week Tom, Christiana, and Paul bring in what they're optimistic for or outraged by to kick things off. Later on, we talk with President Hilda Heine of The Marshall Islands. We hear how she had never aspired to be President, how optimism in the face of existential adversity is the only way, and why believing the best in humanity is still possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 25, 201940 minSeason 1Ep. 27

26. Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast with Jonathan Safran Foer

With a little too much going on in the world of climate change, we try something new this week with Christiana, Paul, and Tom each bringing something they are outraged by or optimistic for. Later, we hear from American novelist, Jonathan Safran Foer. His latest and greatest work, "We Are The Weather" is a fresh look at the climate crisis, with a challenge to start saving the planet with your breakfast. Think you're up for it? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Oct 18, 201948 minSeason 1Ep. 26

25. Going Beyond Meat with Ethan Brown

You've probably been seeing Beyond Meat showing up in your local grocery, your favorite restaurants, and major fast-food chains. But what exactly is it, and can it really help us solve the climate crisis? We talk with Ethan Brown, CEO of Beyond Meat about the truly miraculous innovation of Beyond Meat, and his ethics quest to "separate meat from animals." Also, Paul reveals his deep admiration and patronage for Beyond Burger in his debut interview and we ask him, " Paul, are you vegetarian?" Hos...

Oct 11, 201951 minSeason 1Ep. 25

24. It's Time to Rebel with Gail Bradbrook

This week, we prepare for mass civil disobedience with the International Rebellion beginning Monday, October 7th. We get on the line with Gail Bradbrook, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion and hear her explain the shared human experience behind mass civil disobedience, and finding ourselves in deeper purpose through grief and suffering. We may or may not also bring up a few other light topics like ceremonial ayahuasca, spiral dynamics, and Suffragettes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

Oct 04, 201942 minSeason 1Ep. 24

23. Innovating Breakthroughs with Sir Richard Branson

It's been a busy week at the UNGA! We signed The Climate Pledge with Jeff Bezos from Amazon, saw world leaders stepping up their climate ambition, heard Greta Thunberg's scathing speech, and even had time to fire up the ol' anti-echo machine. Later in the episode we catch a few minutes with Sir Richard Branson, the man behind Virgin. We get into the green innovations he is working on, and discuss his bigger vision on how airline travel becomes sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy ...

Sep 27, 201946 minSeason 1Ep. 23

22. The Calm Before The Summit with Amina J. Mohammed

Caught in-between the massive demonstration of the Global Climate Strike, and the UN Climate Action Summit, Christiana sits down for an exclusive with UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed. Amina shares both her eager anticipation for solutions at the summit upcoming this week, as well as her solidarity in the outrage which was shown worldwide on Friday by over 4 million people who hit the streets. But before that, our trusted hosts provide a first-hand account of the shift in mood the ...

Sep 21, 201934 minSeason 1Ep. 22

21. Stopping the Amazon Fires with Thomas Lovejoy

Attention! The Global Climate Strike is on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019. Please go to www.globalclimatestrike.net to find the climate strike nearest to you! This week, we hear from The Godfather of Biodiversity, Thomas Lovejoy. He drops some knowledge on us regarding the recent Amazon fires, and we discuss whether this is a global issue or a Brazilian national issue. Who is responsible and how close are we to losing "the lungs of the planet?" Tune in to find out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

Sep 16, 201945 minSeason 1Ep. 21

20. Adaptation is Survival with Emma Howard Boyd

In a moment where a 1.5 to 2 degree world waits on our doorstep, how will we prepare for the inevitable risks of climate change? This week, we sit down with Chair of the Environment Agency, and UK Commissioner for Global Commission on Adaptation, Emma Howard Boyd. She schools us on the difference between adaptation and mitigation, and specifically why adaptation is how humanity will survive climate change by properly addressing the looming dangers ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...

Sep 06, 201949 minSeason 1Ep. 20

19. Climate Justice is Social Justice with Isra Hirsi

This week, as Greta arrives in New York after her 2 week long sailing journey to the UN, Christiana, Paul, and Tom weigh in on how the world is feeling a collective shift in momentum from national movements to global movements. Later on in the episode Tom sits down with Isra Hirsi, Executive Director of US Youth Climate Strike and daughter of US Congresswoman, Ilhan Omar. We ask her what it's like to be 16 and running a successful activist organization, and we get her thoughts on intersectional ...

Aug 30, 201946 minSeason 1Ep. 19

18. Getting Outraged by Lies with Bill Nye

This week: Returning back from holidays and a rumored visit to jail, Christiana, Paul, and Tom talk with living science legend Bill Nye the Science Guy about how we combat climate denialism with both outrage and optimism! Bill shares his thoughts on big, fast, innovative science breakthroughs that can "change the world" and how we accomplish that alongside small and incremental political changes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Aug 22, 201944 minSeason 1Ep. 18

BONUS: Outrage and Optimism on The BBC

This week we bring you a bonus episode of an interview we did on the BBC Radio. We talk the origins of Tom, Paul, and Christiana's everlasting friendship and how we got former Prime Minister of the UK, Theresa May, on the podcast. Kind of fun to flip things around and be the ones getting interviewed. Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 21, 201926 min

17. How Canada Came Back with Catherine McKenna

With Canada's warming rate blazing at a speed of two times the normal rate of growing global temperatures, the clock is ticking. This week, Paul and Christiana discuss the triumphant return of Canada to the table on global climate talks after a decade of absence, and later in the episode Christiana sits down with Catherine McKenna, the Canadian Minister of the Environment and Climate Change under Justin Trudeau. They get nerdy with it on climate policy and really wrestle with the uncomfortabilit...

Aug 15, 201935 minSeason 1Ep. 17

16. "Thank You for Being Late" with Tom Friedman

While we're still all on holiday or out to lunch, the climate is still changing. Our co-host Tom joins us with his daughter, Zoe, and her friend, Bethan, for an insightful brief on what 8 and 10 year olds can be doing to save the environment. Later in the episode Christiana runs into Tom Friedman (Best-selling author and Pulitzer prize winning NYT columnist) and they sit down to discuss why Tom believes the 2020 US election is "the most important election of my lifetime" and why Trump is "the Am...

Aug 09, 201932 minSeason 1Ep. 16

15. Lobbying for "Clean" Coal with John Ashford

This week we confront the argument for clean coal head on in a conversation with famous DC lobbyist, John Ashford. John is the CEO and chairman of Hawthorn Group, an international public affairs and public relations firm he co-founded in 1992. John is an absolute genius at marketing and has had many successful campaigns in the past, including a campaign that brought the brand new idea of "clean" coal to the 2008 US election. We peak behind the curtain and get real with John about a just transiti...

Aug 01, 201936 minSeason 1Ep. 15

14. Outrage + Optimism LIVE Q+A!

Last week we asked all of you to submit your burning questions on climate change, and this week we answer them LIVE and on the air! Questions came in from all around the world, and we tackle them head on. We discuss if having children is being responsible, what are the chances of Boris Johnson doing a good job as Prime Minister, and "Paul, from London" confronts us on why Paul from London isn't allowed to join for the interviews. This episode was streamed live to our Twitter, YouTube, and Facebo...

Jul 26, 201953 minSeason 1Ep. 14

13. Seeking Fairness in an Unfair World with Angel Gurría

This week we ask, “In a fair world, who shares the responsibility of reducing carbon emissions?” Christiana goes for a run and comes back with an insightful metaphor to help us, Tom shares about his trip to coal country in West Virginia, and Paul Dickinson explains what the OECD is and why you should know about it. Later in the episode we talk with Angel Gurría, Secretary General of the OECD. He shares why a “big, fat, price on carbon.” is how we truly change our behavior, and our world. Hosted ...

Jul 18, 201940 minSeason 1Ep. 13

12. Learning to Live with Grief and Joy with AURORA

This week we're taking a break from our normal policy discussions to figure out how to embrace both hope and despair in these difficult times. Christiana reveals her inner dialog of wrestling with how to sustain her "stubborn optimism," and Tom and Paul join in to share their thoughts on why the present moment is both the best of times and the worst of times. Later in the episode, Tom and Christiana sit down with AURORA, Norwegian singer-songwriter. She lets us in on how to make every mundane mo...

Jul 12, 201948 minSeason 1Ep. 12

11. All about EU with Miguel Arias Cañete

This week we turn our attention to the EU where there has been an attempt to increase the target of all member states to net zero by 2050. We talk about what happened, why this wasn’t adopted, and what can be done to ensure the EU stays in the leadership position we have come to rely on them for. Then, Christiana travels to Brussels where she sits down with EU Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete, the man responsible for climate and energy policy across 28 countries for the last 5 years. Hosted on A...

Jul 04, 201941 minSeason 1Ep. 11

10. Trumps' Roll Back of Science with Gina McCarthy

This week we explore the roll back of President Obama’s Clean Power Plan by the Trump EPA and the replacement with a new rule that will increase emissions and damage human health. We also explore the wider attack on science taking place inside the Trump Administration. Then we talk to Gina McCarthy, former Administrator of the EPA and author of many of the rules in the Clean Power Plan. She lets us in on what is happening, and what still makes her optimistic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

Jun 28, 201943 minSeason 1Ep. 10

9. Net Zero Legacy with Theresa May

This week we bring you a special episode featuring a conversation between Christiana Figueres and Prime Minister Theresa May. In her final weeks in office, Mrs May has introduced a target of net zero emissions by 2050 for the UK. In this exclusive conversation, we discuss with her why she has chosen to make climate such an important part of her legacy, and what her hopes are for the impact this will have on the international stage. Plus, we discuss the recent decision of the UK and Italy to subm...

Jun 19, 201927 minSeason 1Ep. 9

8. Finding Refuge with David Miliband

Ahead of World Refugee Day on 20th June, we explore how climate change is magnifying the impacts of the refugee crisis around the world, and what the future solutions and challenges ahead of us might be. Christiana and Tom also talk with David Miliband, CEO of the International Rescue Committee and former Foreign Secretary of the UK. We ask him what routes he sees to addressing the rising challenges brought about by cross border migration, why he doesn’t like to make economic arguments in favor ...

Jun 11, 201948 minSeason 1Ep. 8

7. Every Breath Matters with Dr. Arvind Kumar

This week, Christiana, Tom and Paul explore the public health epidemic that is air pollution. We ask why it has taken so long for people to wake up to the fact that air pollution has such a devastating impact, especially on children, and we explore how climate politics are transformed if we bring air pollution into the discussion. We then talk to Dr Arvind Kumar, lung surgeon from New Delhi about finding black lungs inside non-smoking teenagers and what it will take to make a shift. Hosted on Ac...

Jun 07, 201935 minSeason 1Ep. 7

6. Looking for Leadership with Ben Rhodes

The Paris Agreement requires countries to increase their climate ambition every 5 years and the first test of that arrives in 2020. Christiana, Tom and Paul discuss the political outlook and which countries can lead this with the US so firmly out of the picture. Christiana then discusses the issue with Ben Rhodes, former Deputy National Security Adviser to President Obama, and specifically discusses his experience with Modi and Xi and what it will take for them to lead the world to greater clima...

May 31, 201940 minSeason 1Ep. 6

5. Everyone is Needed with Bill McKibben

On the day of the second global school strike, Christiana, Tom and Paul discuss momentum so far and the proposed shift to a general climate strike involving everyone on 20th September. We also dig into what happened in the Australian elections that had been dubbed “the climate elections” but then went badly wrong, and we talk to author and activist Bill McKibben about his decades of non violent resistance and what it’s going to take to move us forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for ...

May 24, 201938 minSeason 1Ep. 5

BONUS: Striking for the Climate with Greta Thunberg

On Friday 24th May the second global School Strike for the Climate will take place. In anticipation of this (and in support of it), we bring you a conversation between Christiana and Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg who started the school strike movement in 2018. This conversation was recorded in Davos at the World Economic Forum in January 2019. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 21, 201928 min

4. Voting for a Future with Jay Inslee

Christiana, Tom and Paul discuss whether campaigning for strong action on climate change can now actually win elections. We look at what’s happening in Australia and the US in relation to this and we sit down with Jay Inslee. Governor of the State of Washington, Governor Inslee is running for President on a platform of climate action. We hear what his plans are, and why he feels the US is ready for that kind of campaign. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

May 16, 201941 minSeason 1Ep. 4

3. It's an Emergency with William Hague

This week Christiana, Tom and Paul discuss what has been happening in the UK from mass civil disobedience to the declaration of a climate emergency and the first week without coal since 1882. We then discuss all this with William Hague, former Foreign Secretary under David Cameron and ask him how politicians on the right can get engaged in responding to the climate crisis, and whether he thinks the moment to take to the streets has now arrived. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...

May 09, 201944 minSeason 1Ep. 3

BONUS: Facing the Extinction Crisis with Jane Goodall

A UN report has issued humanity with the worst news possible; that a massive extinction spasm is underway and unless we take transformative action, it will unfold in the coming decades. Christiana talks with Jane Goodall about how she has approached 60 years of conservation dealt with persistent set backs and takes inspiration for the task we now have before us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 07, 201921 min

2. Outrage and Optimism with Ellie Goulding

Christiana and Tom meet with Ellie Goulding and discuss how she has worked to integrate her activism and her music, her latest song recorded for the Our Planet documentary, and how young people can manage their mental health in the context of a changing climate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 02, 201937 minSeason 1Ep. 2
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